The clock struck twelve
by Witch Rain
Summary: Bruce must say goodbye to the one person he loves the most. But than again that's why he must say goodbye.


**A.N: Okay so I haven't written ff in a long time so please be gentle. I have have recently grown very attached to this pair and really didn't mean for this to be so sad but it turned out that way. I don't own anything and no flames. Hope you like. ^^**

She lives in a fairy tale

Somewhere too far for us to find

Forgotten the taste and smell

Of the world that she's left behind

It's all about the exposure, the lens, I told her

The angles were all wrong now

She's ripping wings off of butterflies

Keep your feet on the ground

When your head's in the clouds

~Paramore: Brick By Boring Brick

"It's over Dick. I'm sorry but from now on you and I will just be mentor and ward." Bruce suddenly said as they got out of the bat mobile and walked further into the cave.

They got back early from patrol and the time was just hitting 11:30 am. But Bruce didn't want this go on for any longer than it had to because it was killing him slowly so he called patrol off short to talk to Dick.

Dick knew right away why they got back so early.

It was as if Superman had just pushed him as hard as he could in the stomach. It felt like he was going to die and as he tried to catch his breath little by little but the hurtful words just kept coming. Kept hurting him.

"You can still be Robin if you fell like you can handle it. However, if you can't I understand and we can figure out a different plan for you. With that being said your still allowed to live here Dick this is your home and will always be. But again if you can't handle it again I understand and we can have someone search for apartments for you."

Dick slowly raised his still masked face up at Bruce. Face flushed and body slightly shaking. His breath was coming in short erratic puffs.

"Bruce, please stop. Please." Dick gasped out as he tried containing the tears from escaping his blue eyes.

The bird knew this day was coming. He knew his dream wouldn't last long. Fairy tales were full of crap no one ever got a happy ending.

"Dick don't. Let go. I told you when we started this it wasn't going to be for long. I can't do it Dick as much as you want to and as much as it hurts you. I can't risk the exposure. And I certainly won't let it effect Batman's performance." Bruce turned away from his ward and now his ex-lover. He could see that Dick was in pain and was heart broken but the sudden choice to split. But he had to do what was right…for gotham.

It wasn't that Bruce wasn't happy with Dick as his lover he was. In fact Bruce had never been happier than when he was with Dick.

But that was the problem he had gotten too careless. He had forgotten to much why he never allowed anyone so close to him.

And as a result his work suffered his promise seemingly didn't matter to Bruce when Dick was with him, and Bruce couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let himself forget. He couldn't let himself be so happy that he would be willing to break his promise.

Bat cries, the sound of water dripping off the caves walls, and the sound of Dicks breathing were the only sounds the cave was echoing.

Bruce began to take off his costume starting with his utility belt and while be began to walk away to place the belt on one of the tables and take off the rest of his costume he felt arms wrap around him.

"Please Bruce don't do this please. I…I love you…so much…you can't mean it. You can't."

"I'm sorry Robin but I do. In fact this was a mistake from the beginning. It's just all wrong Dick I can't be Batman and still have you it's impossible. You deserve to be happy Dick you deserve sunshine and laughter. Not empty promises and the hollow thought that maybe one day I can truly be with you."

"Dick please try to understand that as much as I love you, and I do truly love you this could never work out. It's already a distraction out on the field. And press are already spewing out articles about it."

Dick quickly withdrew his arms from Bruce and backed away from the man still in his bat armor.

"So that's why you're doing this because you don't want your name slandered. The mighty Bruce Wayne can't handle a little he said she said printed about him" Dick spat and his eyes glowed blue rage as he glared holes into Bruce's back.

"Well you know what Bruce fuck you! If that's the reason for letting me go then fine I'm glad you did. Your shit isn't worth my tears."

Bruce should have let him go. Should have let that be the end of it. But it was part of Bruce's pride that just wouldn't let Dick leave with that being the last thing said between them.

Djck didn't even have a chance to really blink he just felt the stabbing of rock on his back as Brue pinned him into the closest cave wall.

"Dick you know and I know that's not the reason. It has nothing to do with my name. You know damn well my name means nothing when I have you in my arms."

Dick closed his eyes and tried shoving Bruce away from him. So he could run so he could lick his wounds somewhere Bruce couldn't find him. So Dick could finally cry and not have to worry that the big bad Batman would sneer as his weakness of emotion.

Bruce grabbed Dick's hands and pinned them above his head then carefully leaned his forehead against his bird's.

"Dick please try to understand." Bruce whispered and he felt the first wave of tears leave Dick's shut eyes.

"Gotham needs me. All she has is me, and I promised a long time ago that I would be the one to fix her."

"If it could be any other way Dick I would choose you. But I won't break my promise no matter how much it hurts me to lose you I'm sorry."

And with that Brue gently kissed his broken birds eyelids before letting him go and walking out of the bat cave and into his room to mourn the love that he had to let go.

Dick slide down the wall onto the cold hard ground and pressed his knees into his chest and hugged himself as he sobbed.

He knew this would happen he knew this day would come. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

It didn't make it feel any less like he was a butterfly who just had his wings ripped off by a cruel little child.

And as Dick slowly put himself to sleep with the heavy crying he was doing. He heard the grandfather clock near the entrance of the bat cave strike 12 and he knew that his one and only love would never be his again.


End file.
